A quick take on Syracuse’s 91-82 win over Arkansas on Friday night:
WHAT HAPPENED: Brandon Triche scored all 10 points in a 10-1 second-half run to help Syracuse take a 69-56 lead with 10 minutes left. SU would lead by at least six points after that run for a tough road win. Triche finished with 17 points, and combined with James Southerland’s 35 to power the SU offense. Southerland’s output came within two points of Georgetown’s 37-36 win over Tennessee in an earlier Big East/SEC Challenge matchup.
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ANALYSIS: The Orange used a 20-3 run, buoyed by Southerland’s perfect 5-for-5 start from downtown, to take a 33-19 with 7:57 left in the first half. Curiously, Arkansas chose to face guard Southerland instead of double teaming him, even after his hot start, Razorbacks forward Marshawn Powell said after the game. That backfired, as Syracuse never trailed after Southerland’s first 3-pointer gave SU a 12-10 lead. Still, Syracuse couldn’t put pesky Arkansas away until the final minutes as it got flustered by the Razorback’s frenetic pace during parts of the game. The famed “40 minutes of hell” produced an 88-possession affair. Foul trouble was also a factor as Triche, Carter-Williams, Fair and Southerland each had four fouls. The two teams combined for 46 whistles, though Arkansas got to the line 36 times to SU’s 24.
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HERO: Southerland was near perfect on the night, tying a Syracuse record with 9 made 3-pointers (a record he now shares with Gerry McNamara and Andy Rautins). Southerland’s 30+ point output was the most in a game by an Orange player since Wes Johnson vs. Gonzaga in the 2010 NCAA Tournament. Michael Carter-Williams also chipped in 17 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists, coming within one pass of a triple double. BJ Young led Arkansas with 25 points, though he went just 1 for 5 from downtown, and Powell added 19 points and 7 rebounds.
ZERO: Arkansas seemed to solve the SU zone at times, as Powell got to the foul line 10 times. Still, the Razorbacks settled for too many outside jumpers, and finished 5 for 24 from downtown. As for the Orange, they seemed, at times, flustered by Arkansas’ rapid pace and raucous home crowd. Carter-Williams (6) and Fair (4) combined for half of SU’s 20 turnovers.
WHAT’S NEXT: Syracuse will return home to play play Eastern Michigan on Dec. 3 at 7 p.m. TV: ESPNU.
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